The present invention relates to improvements in an electrophotographic copying machine.
Electrophotographic copying machines, particularly desk type copying machines, are extensively used in general offices because they can be easily operated and require little space for installation. In such electrophotographic copying machines, copying is accomplished by depressing a print button after placing an original on a holder on top of the machine. Copy paper is supplied from a cassette, which is mounted on one end of the machine. The developed copy paper is discharged onto a receptacle provided on the other end of the body. Since the cassette and the receptacle are on opposite ends of the machine, the size of the machine as a whole is larger than necessary and certain restrictions are placed on the installation location. Furthermore, when all the copy paper in the cassette is used up, it is necessary to remove the cassette from the machine before inserting additional copy paper. And, when the copying process is completed, the developed copy paper must be removed from the receptacle which is on the other end of the machine. Thus in order to operate the machine, the user of the electrophotographic copying machine must go back and forth along the machine which is an undesirable aspect from the standpoint of convenience.
Jamming of copy paper in the machine happens from time to time for one reason or another. In such a case, the jammed copy paper must be removed. To remove the jammed copy paper, it is necessary to open at least a portion of the machine where the jamming occurs. Quite frequently, the jamming occurs in a portion of the machine below the holder, where the fixing device fixes a visible image on the copy paper. Thus, an inner mechanism below the holder is desirable for readily opening the machine.